Researchers Use Surface Draped Fiber Optic Cables to Track Aircraft Maneuvers at Nevada Airfield

Researchers use surface-draped fiber optic cables and DAS technology to record aircraft speed and propeller RPM at a Nevada airfield.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 17, 2026, 7:55 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from the Seismological Society of America

Innovative Flight Tracking Through Ground Sensors

A research team led by Elisa McGhee, a Ph.D. candidate at Colorado State University and former Air Force pilot, has successfully demonstrated that surface-draped fiber optic cables can capture the intricate maneuvering of aircraft. Originally deployed at a Nevada airfield to record the re-entry of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx capsule, the "T-shaped" fiber optic network accidentally provided a high-resolution window into the operations of a local Cessna 172. By utilizing Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS), the team converted sound and seismic energy from the aircraft into actionable flight data, proving that expensive, permanent infrastructure is not always necessary for precise aviation monitoring.

The Mechanics of Distributed Acoustic Sensing

DAS technology transforms standard fiber optic cables into thousands of individual seismic sensors by utilizing tiny internal flaws within the glass fiber. An interrogator unit sends laser pulses down the cable, which reflect off these flaws and return to the instrument. When acoustic waves from a flying aircraft vibrate the ground or the cable itself, the fiber undergoes miniscule changes in length. These changes are converted into strain units, allowing researchers to visualize the movement of an object near the cable with sub-millisecond precision. This method effectively turns a simple strand of glass into a massive, continuous microphone and seismometer.

Capturing Real-World Pilot Proficiency

The opportunity to test the system on a Cessna 172 arose when a local pilot performed practice approaches and taxiing maneuvers at the Eureka Airfield. Unlike previous studies that focused on steady overflights at constant power settings, this data set captured the dynamic nature of pilot proficiency training. By comparing data from surface-draped fiber, shallow-buried fiber, and traditional seismic stations, the researchers were able to estimate taxi speeds and follow the plane’s rectangular traffic pattern through the sky. This provides a more realistic look at how ground-based sensors can monitor active, maneuvering aircraft in a busy airfield environment.